Select Local Merchants

Chefs at Crepe Delicious swirl paper-thin layers of batter onto their piping-hot crepe griddles, perfuming the air with the enticing aroma. Shortly after, the cooks lift away delectable crepes ready to be stuffed with savoury ingredients. The crepes themselves weigh in at only about 130 calories each with just 3.5 grams of fat, but they sate appetites during any meal.

According to Green Earth Organics, the term “certified organic” means “the food has been grown according to strict uniform standards which are verified by an independent state or private organization.” Therefore, as a delivery service that carries a selection of certified organic products, Green Earth Organics gets its inventory from farms and processing facilities that have been scrupulously inspected and tested. There are many reasons the staff at Green Earth says shoppers should go organic—from better flavour with no chemicals to protecting farm workers and a future generation. They make it easy for consumers to make the switch by supplying organic meats and produce, canned soups, and condiments. They fill small, medium, or large bins with such weekly produce as strawberries, green chard, mangoes, and russet potatoes. They also carry a selection of environmentally friendly products and organic toiletries.
Green Earth goes one step further in saving the earth by easing car-exhaust emissions by delivering groceries to the home or turtle shell. The service also reduces the use of plastic bags and saves customers the time spent finding a parking spot and waiting in line at the grocery store.

Inspired by the boutique markets of New York and France, Fresh & Wild's King and Spadina and Bloor West locations buzz with activity as customers browse produce, meat, and artisan goods sourced both locally and from across the globe. Within the King and Spadina store, a high-powered media system plays rock and blues as shoppers lasso tapenades and fresh tomatoes into carts. A modern café echoes Italy as it brews fair-trade coffees, leans slightly askew, and dishes out flaky pastries from local bakeries. The Bloor West location celebrates the bounty of nature by displaying vibrant green plants within indoor and outdoor cases.
Each morning at 4 a.m., the grocery's buyer arrives at a food terminal to acquire fresh items and potatoes, which he then uses to fuel his car back home. Additionally, Fresh & Wild employs a catering team that stack gourmet sandwiches and shake up organic salads until they plead for mercy.

Named one of the best cheese shops in the city by blogTO, Cheese Emporium curates cheeses from at least a dozen different countries, celebrating the unique cheese-making character and tradition found in each locale. French and Italian cheeses dominate the dairy cases in the shop, whose selection Toronto Life describes as ?defiantly European.? Pungent and creamy Delice de Bourgogne fills a cheese plate alongside one of three Roqueforts, and Italian offerings such as Sardinian goat cheese and buffalo mozzarella mingle with swiss gruyere. More local cheeses stroll over from other provinces and the USA, including a 12-year Quebec white cheddar and a smoky Oregon blue. Toronto Life also describes an ?extensive olive bar? from which customers can harvest a wide variety of googly eyes for the sandwiches at their next business lunch.

As one of Canada's largest nutrition retail outlets, Popeye's Supplements populates its store with nutrition, weight-loss, and fitness aids designed to address a variety of health matters. Expert vitamin prospectors help patrons find supplements best suited to their fitness goals. Shoppers can fill their baskets with Hydroxycut bars or stock up on Allmax Nutrition's muscle-magnifying creatine. Meanwhile, the green-tea extracts and soy vitamin E in the Ascenta NutraSea fish oil team up to strengthen hearts and soothe joints. Customers who aren't sure which supplement may work best for them can try out different ones at Popeye's Supplements' sampling station.

With glimmering wine glasses, white napkins, and fresh flowers scattered across its wooden tables and countertops, Bistro 243 personifies a cozy-yet-stylish French bistro. The intimate restaurant serves elegant lunch and dinner dishes daily, with entrees such as mushroom risotto and chicken stuffed with spinach and brie further channeling European pleasures. On weekends, diners stop by to sip on mimosas from the full bar while enjoying brunch selections ranging from omelettes with smoked salmon to sandwiches with pulled pork.